Digging Into Resistance - The Biggest Lesson CrossFit Taught Me That Has Helped Me Succeed In Life

I heard a powerful saying that resistance loves comfort. Let me explain what that means. Resistance is any force, internal or external, that prevents or hinders you from achieving a goal. So often when we are faced with challenges in life our human nature is to slow down, find comfort, numb the uncomfortable feelings, stop what we’re doing or basically do anything to FEEL better. This is one of the biggest things that hinder us from ever getting better in our lives. What CrossFit has taught me is to dig into the discomfort.

Let me clarify when I say discomfort I am not talking about pain or injury. I am referring to a feeling, it’s an uncomfortable feeling that will not cause injury and for the most part stops as soon as you stop what you’re doing. It is that burning sensation in your legs during a run, shoulders being on fire during numerous push ups, or your lungs feeling gassed in the middle of doing 100 burpees.

When I start to feel discomfort in a workout I’ll push a little harder (add more weight, do more reps, increase my speed, or go a little longer), and I’ll acknowledge the discomfort. I tell myself ‘this is uncomfortable, but not unbearable’ and I’m always satisfied at the end because I pushed myself to a place I did not want to go but ultimately made me stronger and better in the end. This lesson has helped me in my personal life in a few specific ways.

Tension in a relationship - Resistance says sweep it under the rug, ignore it, or blame the other person. Digging into the discomfort says, apologize first, seek to understand the other person, don’t try to always be right, and have the hard conversations needed to solve the issue.

Experiencing failure - Resistance says stop trying because it hurts, save face and don’t let people see you fail, only do things you are good at. Digging into the discomfort says, embracing failure is the only way to truly learn, allowing people to see you fail makes you human, and everyone that is great at something typically starts off sucking at it.

Constant goal setting - Resistance says aren’t you ever satisfied, chill out and relax, just be happy where you are. Digging into the discomfort says human beings were designed to be constantly going after something, never be satisfied and continue to strive to reach your potential.

Changing old habits – Resistance says you worked hard, you deserve the cupcake; fast food is so much more convenient than preparing a healthy meal, I had a hard day, I’ll watch Netflix all night. Digging into the discomfort says ‘I want you cupcake, but based on my goals, I don’t need you in my life’, I will plan better so I can have ready-to-eat healthy meals, ‘I had a hard day, I’ll go to bed, get a good night sleep and wake up early so I can have a productive morning’.

The Navy Seals have something called the 40x Rule. It states that when you mentally think you are at your capacity, you are actually only at 40% of your full capacity. This has been scientifically proven. This is why most people that hit the wall at mile 16 during a marathon are still able to finish it. You only ever experience this if you are willing to push beyond your current capabilities and into that place to discomfort. Whether that’s in a workout or business or personal or relationship goals you are going after, putting yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable will allow you to grow if you have the right mindset of digging in when things get uncomfortable rather than seeking your old comfort zone.

Come train with us! Experience what it’s like to push yourself to a new level with the guidance of our highly trained coaches. One of the coolest experiences is when you push yourself to do something you previously thought you couldn’t. We would love to share that experience with you! Try us for a week and we’ll show you what YOU can do!